Fastener-applying implement



' April 28, 1942. A. H. MAYNARD 2,281,198

FASTENERAPPLYING IMPLEMENT Filed Aug. 13, 1940 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED 'STATES PATENT oFFlcE i FASTENER-APPLYING IMPLEMENT Arthur H. Maynard, Warwick, R. I., assignor to Boston Wire Stitcher Company, Warwick, R.. I., a corporation of Maine Application August 13, 1940, Serial No. 352,371 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-346) The present invention relates to fastener-applying devices and morel particularly to a selfcontained fastener-applying implement adapted to be detachably mounted on a relatively stable base.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a small compactfastener-applying device adapted to be carried in the pocket as a portable implement or mounted on the relatively stable base to adapt it for use as a desk-type implement. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a base of the type indicated adapted to seat on a desk or other support and having a recess in its upper face of a contour to closely t the bottom member of the fastener-applying implement.

Another object of the invention is to provide cooperating latching or snap-fastener means on the fastener-applying implement and basefor detachably connecting them vone to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide snap-fastener means of the type indicated comprising a resilient projection or stud adapted to be permanently fastened in place by merely turning it on the part on which it is mounted. j'

Still another object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is 'of simple and compact constructionvto adapt it for leconomical manufacture.

Further objects of' the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of-constructionof the' device, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the fastener-applying implement detachably mounted on the base;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the bottom member of the fastener-applying implement seated in the recess ln the base and detachably connected thereto by snap-fastener means; l

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly in section showing the fastener-applying implement, base and resilient stud in disassembled relationship;

` Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the base showing a hole and recess therein with ribs projecting into the recess for securing the resilient stud of the snap-fastener means;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the resilient stud showing its flange adapted to seat in the recess in the base and the radially projecting lugs on the flange;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the lugs on the iiange of the stud in engagement with v the ribs at the sides of the recess;

` showing'the plurality of longitudinal slits to adapt it to expand and contract.

Fig. 1 of the drawing illustrates a fastener-applying implement 2 mounted on the base 3 and detachably connected thereto by means of the resilient stud 45. The fastener-applying implement 2 is similar to that illustrated and described in my copending application Serial No. 245,105 for Fastener-applying implements, filed December 12, 1938. Suffice it to state herein that the fastener-applying implement comprises a bottom member or plate 5 having clinching means 6 at its forward end and upwardly projecting spacedv stanchions I adjacent its rearward end with rearwardly-extending ears 8. In accordance with the present invention the bottom member 5 is also provided with a snap-fastener eye in the form of la hole 9 to adapt it to be attached to the base 3 as will be explained later.

A magazine-arm I0 is positioned between the stanchions 1 and hingedly mounted on a pivotpin II extending between the ears 8 on-the member 5. The magazine-arm I0 is of channel-shape with an open top through which the fasteners are supplied. Although the fasteners may take other forms, they are herein illustrated as U-shaped wire staples s adapted to be supported in the magazine-arm I0 by the direct engagement of the ends of their legs with the bottom wall I3 of the magazine. A relatively narrow throat I4 is provided at the forward end of the magazinearm I0 through which the fasteners are driven and the rearward wall of the throat is constituted by a shear-plate I5. A brace or strut I6 extends longitudinally of the magazine between the shearplate I5 and pivot-pin II and seats in an annular groove I2 in the pivot-pin to hold the latter in place. A pusher I1 is mounted to slide on the strut I6 and is advanced in the magazine-arm Il) by means of a spring I8 coiled about the strut.

An actuating lever 22 of inverted channelshape overlies the sides of the magazine-arm I0 and stanchions 1 and is hingedly mounted on the projecting ends of the pivot-pin II which extend through the side walls of the lever. A knob 23, preferably constructed of plastic material, is

' mounted on the actuating lever 22 at its forward end to provide a hand-rest for operating the implement.

A single resilient element 24 is carried by the lever 22 to serve the several functions of driving the staples s from the magazine-arm I0, holding the lever V22 raised with respect to the magazine-arm. and holding the magazine-arm' raised with respect to the-platei. The resilient element 24 comprises a forward end-portion bent at right-angles to provide a driver 25, a. at portion 21 adjacent the driver adapted to bear against the top wall oi the actuating lever 22, and a curved tail-portion 28 constituting a leatspring. The resilient element 24 is permanently attached to the actuating lever 22 by means of a stud 29 embedded in the plastic knob 23 and projecting through the lever and a hole in the element with` its end 3| riveted over'around the edges of the hole. Thus, the stud 29 serves to attach both the knob 23 and the resilient element 24 to the actuating lever` 22. The resilient element 24 is so positioned on the lever 22 that the driver 25 alines with the throat I4 and the end of its curved tail-portion 28 bears against the top edges of the side walls of the magazinearm I and the top edges of the stanchions 1. A latch-member 32 on the actuating lever 22 cooperates with an abutment 33 on the magazinearm I0, see Figs. 1 and 3, for limiting the upward movement of the lever with respect to the arm, whereby the resilient element 24 acts to hold the actuating lever raised with respect'to the magazine-arm and the magazine-arm raised with respect to the bottom member 5.

The base 3 may take any desired form and as herein illustrated it is of generally rectangular shape having rounded front and rear ends. A recess 42 in the top face 43 of the base 3 has the same contour and dimensions as the `bottom l member 5 of the fastener-applying implement 2 to adapt the latter to seat therein with a close t at the marginal edges of the member and with its upper face flush with the upper face of the base. f

A resilient projection or split stud 45 projects upwardly from the recess 42 in the base 3 in alinement with the hole 9 in the bottom member 5 of the fastener-applying implement 2, the stud being adapted to snap through the hole to detachably connect the implement to the base. As illustrated in detail in Fig. 8, the resilient split stud 45 has a rounded head 46, a shank 41 and a radial ange 48 at its bottom with spaced radial lugs 49 projecting from the periphery of the flange. A series of angularly-related slits 50 are formed in the stud 45 which extend through the head 46, shank 41 and a portion of the iiange 48 to provide a series of resilient prongs 5I. The prongs 5I of the stud 45 may be exed inwardly toward each other and are automatically spread or expanded away from each other due to the inherent resiliency of the material.

To fasten the resilient stud 45 on the base 3 the latter is provided with a hole 54 in alinement with the hole 9 in the bottom member or plate 5 and an annular recess 55 which surrounds the hole at the bottom of the base with a series of` spaced ribs 56 projecting radially inwardly into the recess. The stud 45 is mounted on the base 3 by inserting the head 46 and shank 41 through the hole 54 with the lugs 49 on the ange 48 positioned in the space between the inwardly ex tending ribs 56 in the recess 55 until the ange becomes seated against the top of the recess, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The stud 45 is then.. turned to cause the lugs 49 to cut or score slots 51 in the ribs 55 which provide seats for the lugs and bind the implement rmly seated inthe recess `inV i theb'ase Thus, `the fastener-applying impleagainst the latter to permanently mount the stud on the base. `Thus, the resilient stud 45 o n the base 3 and vthe eye or hole `9 in the base,-l

member 5 constitute cooperating snap-fastener means I r detachably connecting the fastenerapplying implement to the base. One form of the 4invention having been described'in detail the operation of the assembled device is explained as follows:

The fastener-applying implement 2 is so constructed and arranged that it may be made extremely compact and light in weight to adapt it to be carried on the person in the vest pocket or in a bag or purse as a portable implement. To adapt the device 2 for use as a desk-type implement it is applied to the relatively stable base 3 and connected thereto by the snap-fastener means 9 and 45. To this end the bottom member 5 of the fastener-applying implement 2 is seated in the recess 42 in the base 3 and pressed against the latter by causing the stud 45 of the snapfastener means to snap through the hole or eye 9 of the bottom member or plate 5. During the relative movement of the member 5 and base 3 the prongs 5| of the stud 45 yield by moving inwardly toward each other to adapt the head 46 to pass through the restricted hole or eye 9 and thereafter the prongs expand. due to the inherent resiliency of their material, to cause the head 46 to bind against the member 5 at the edges of the hole, see Fig. 2. When the fastener-applyingimplement 2 is seated in the recess 42 of the base 3 the engagement of the edges of the bottom member or plate 5 with the:

shoulders at the sides of the recess holds the im113131118111"'against longitudinal or lateral movey l ment 'WhIT-espectto the base; and the engage.,

ment of the snap-fastener means 6 and V45 holds ment is detachably connected to the base 3.

The fastener-applying implement 2 is operated i. I

by depressingA the knob 23v of theactuating lever 22 which causes the lever and magazine-arm I0 to rock as a unit on the pivot-pin II toward the bottom member 5,.the spring portion 28 of the resilient element 24 yielding to permit this movement. When the magazine-arm I0 has been moved into engagement with the work seated on the member orplate 5 overlying the clinching means 6 the lever 22 will continue to move with respect to the magazine-arm I8. Relative movement between the magazine-arm IU and lever 22 causes the driver 25 at the forward end of the resilient element 24 to descend through the throat I4 to drive a staple through the work and engage the ends of its legs with the clinching means 8.

Upon release of the actuating lever 22 the spring-portion 28 of the resilient element 24, acting against the top of the stanchions 1, raises the lever away from the bottom member 5. The actuating lever 22 rst moves relative to the magazine-arm I 0 and withdraws the driver 25 from the throat I4 until the latch 32 on the lever engages with the abutment 33 on the arm I0, thel lever and magazine-arm thereafter moving together as a unit. The upward movement of the magazine-arm I0 and actuating lever 22 continues until the top edges of the side walls of the magazine-arm engage the end of the springportion 28 of the resilient element 24. The parts then are in equilibrium with the spring-portion 2 8 acting between the lever 22 and the magazinearm I 0 and resting against the top of the stanchions 1. With this relationship of the parts the driver 25 is Withdrawn from the throat I4, permitting the pusher Il to advance the staples s in the magazine to deliver the next staple s into the throat. The implement is then ready for a subsequent operation to drive another staple.

It will now be observed from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a novel construction and arrangement of the elements of a fastener-applying implement to adapt it to be either carried in the pocket or other receptacle as a portable implement, or to be detachably mounted on a base for use as a desk-type implement.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention is herein described and illustrated, it will be understood that various modicationsmay be made in the structure and arrangement of its parts Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

l. In a combined desk and pocket fastenerapplying implement, a base-member adapted to seat on a desk or other support, a fastener-applying device including a bottom member adapted to seat on the base-member while being removable therefrom, resilient means extending from one member and adapted for snap engagement With a portion of the other member to detachably connect the base-member to the bottom member of the fastener-applying device, and

means acting between the bottom member and the base-member to prevent the fastener-applying device from turning on the base-member when the resilient means are operative.

2. In a device of the type indicated, a base adapted to seat on a desk or other support, a fastener-applying implement having a bottom member adapted to seat on the base, cooperating means on the base and bottom member comprising a resilient projection on one part and an opening in the other part adapted to snap over the projection to detachably connect the fastener-applying implement to the base, and interengaging means between the base and bottom member to hold the implement from rotary movement on the base.

3. In a device of the type indicated, a base adapted to seat on a desk or other support and having a recess in its upper face; a resilient stud projecting upwardly from the recessed portion of the base, and a fastener-applying implement having a bottom member adapted to t closely within the recess in the base and having an eye .in alinement with the stud to adapt it to snap over the latter to detachably connect the implement to the base, said recess in the base cooperating with the bottom member to prevent the implement from turning on the base.

ARTHUR H. MAYNARD. 

